Annunciator for elevators and the like



April 29, 1952 D. COYNE I ANNUNCIATOR FOR ELEVATORS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1948 IIL T1g;3 "mafia April 29, 1952 COYNE 2,594,733

ANNUNCIATOR FOR ELEVATORS AND THE LIKE Filed May 3, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

2191 70 COX/VE April 29, 1952 COYNE ANNUNCIATOR FOR ELEVATORS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 3, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 29, 1952 x UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANNUNCIATOR FOR ELEVATORS AND 'THE LIKE David Coyn ew York, N- Y- Application May 3, 1948 Serial No.24,69,2 '2 Claims. (Cl. 17,7--.3.3.6)

2 This invention relates "to annunciators or the Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram of the instant antype emitting light signals. nunciator as applied in an elevator system.

It is the primary aim and object of thepresent Referring to the drawings, and more particuinvention to provide an annunciator of this type larly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown an which .may be mounted in any hidden or readily 5 annunciator H], which comprises as its major accessible place with total disregard to the obop r ting mp nen s al h ou-ro l2 anumservation of the light signals therefrom, and to her of light-signal transmitters I4, and .a like transmit the light signals from the annunciator number of electrical devices 16 which selectively to any convenient observation post in a simple admit light m t e u ce 2 t0 t e Si al and unfailing manner by the use of inexpensive l0 transmitters M with which they are associated. equipment which has negligible bulk and is read- These operating components l2, l4 and is of ily applicable to any transit condition. the annunciator are carried on .a'base .18, and are It is a more specific object of the present inpreferably enclosed within a cover '20 which may vention to provide an annunciator of this type removably be secured to the base l8 :as at '22. in which the well known light-transmitting prophe l g ou ce l2 m y e of any Co ventional erty .of certain plastics, such as methylmethm I the present instance, he i h ure acrylate, commonly known as Lucite, may be I2 is shown as a fluorescent bulb which is reused to good advantage in transmitting the light movably mounted with its ends in conventional signals from the annunciator to a remote b sockets 2G that are, in turn, mounted .on suitable servation post. brackets 28 on the base I 8.. Suitably secured It is another specific object of the present "into the brackets 28, as by rivets :30, for instance, vention to provide an annunciator of this typ is a light shield 32 of the generally v-shaped which may advantageously be applied to an elecross-section shown in Fig. 2, which is provided vator car, by mounting the annunciator on the with spaced light passages or openings 36. Excar at a conveniently accessible place on the out cept for light that passes through the openings side thereof, and extending plastic signal-trans- 36, the shield "32 protects the components I 4 and *mitting rods from the annunciator along the out- I6 therebeneath from direct light from the bulb side of the car to a window or indicator in the IE, as will be readily understood.

car at a place where the "transmitted signals may "The electrical devices I 6, which may be of the be most conveniently observed by the operator same type as a commercialized target frequently of the car. used in annunciators, are in the form of double- The above and other objects, features and adacting solenoids of which the movable armatures vantages of the present invention will be more carry light shields or interceptors 451. Since the fully understood from the following description electrical devices iii are identical in every reconsidered in connection with the accompanying 35 spect, a description of one of these devices,;nameillustrative drawings. ly the device [5' in Fig. 1, will sufiice. This dey In the drawings: vice comprises a mounting 42 which is suitably :Fig. '1 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly secured to the base [8, and is preferably molded in elevation, of an annunciator embodying the from any suitable insulating material. The

present invention. 4L0 mounting 42 is formed with integral spaced walls Fig. -2"is a cross section through the annuncia- 46 that provide receptacles 48 vfor two solenoid tor, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig 1; windings 50, respectively. A "tubular sleeve 152 Fig. 3 illustrates, by way of example, the apextends through the walls 46 of the mounting 42 plication of the instant annunciator to an eleand serves as aguide for the armature 54, as 'well vator car, the latter being shown in fragmentary as a support for the solenoid windings 50. Ex S t/ 0 tending from the sleeve 52 is a shank 5:6 that i 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the terminates in the light interceptor '40" (see also elevator car as viewed in the direction of the Fig. 2). lhe guide sleeve '52 is provided with an arrow 4 in Fig. 3; elongated slot 63 through which the shank 56 Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of a part of the armature 54 extends. The shank 55 of the of the ,annunciatorinthe elevator car, as viewed armature 54 is further guided .for movement in in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 3.; a .certain plane, in the present instancea vertical Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of plane, in an elongated slot 62 in a cover plate certain associated parts of the annunciator in 64 on top of the mounting 42. The cover plate disassembled relation; and 64 may be rovided with op osite lugs 66 which at I6 (Fig. 2) and pass from are bent against the adjacent end walls 46 of the mounting and held in place thereon by crimpedover end tabs 61 of the guide sleeve 52. Ch energization of the solenoid winding 59', the armature 54 is shifted into the full-line position shown in Fig. 1,-in which the interceptor 40 is in the path of the light that emanates from the adjacent passage 36' in the shield 32. On energization of the other solenoid winding 50", the armature 54 is shifted into the dot-and-dash line position shown in Fig. 1, in which the interceptor 40' is out of the path of the light that emanates from the adjacent passage 36 in the shield 32.

The signal transmitters I4 are, in the present instance, in the form of rods of any suitable plastic material that has the well known property of transmitting light, such as methylmethacrylate, for instance, which is commonly known as Lucite. Thus, if one end of either of the plastic rods I4 is exposed to light, the same will be transmitted through the rod and will emanate from the other end thereof. The light-receiving ends 38 of the rods I4 are preferably located in tubular sockets which may be provided by any suitable bracket 12 on the base It. More particularly, the brackets I2 are so located that the light-receiving ends 38 of the rods I4 in their respective sockets 10 are in alignment with the light passages 35, respectively, in the shield 32. Thus, the end 38 of any one of the rods I4 receives light from the adjacent passage 3'5 in the shield 32 and the rod transmits the light signal thus received to its other, end, when the associated light interceptor 40 is in its inopera tive position, which corresponds with the dotand-dash line position of the interceptor 4B in Fig. 1. Conversely, any rod I4 is effectively shielded from the light emanating from the as sociated passage 36 in the transmit a light signal, when the associated interoeptor 40 is in its operative position, which corresponds with the full-line position of the interceptor 40 in Fig. 1. The rods I4 are bent the annunciator cover 20 to any conwhere the light sigthrough notches 18 in the venient observation post nals transmitted through the rods I4 may readily be observed. Preferably, the rods I4 are secured in sockets T4 in a bar I5 on the base I8 by an overlying bar 11 which may be drawn into clamping engagement with the rods I4 by screws 19 (Fig. 2).

Figs. 3 and 4 show an example of a practical installation of the present annunciator. Thus, the present annunciator may advantageously be installed on an elevator car 80, which may have the usual enclosure or housing 82 carried by conventional framework 84. The annunciator I0 may conveniently be mounted with its base I8 on the outside and on top of the housing 82. The signal-transmitting rods I4, that extend from the annunciator, may be bent in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so that they extend along the outside of the adjacent wall 88 of the housing 82, and project with their signal ends 9!) through an opening 92 in the wall 88, where they may be observed from the interior of the elevator car. The signal-transmitting rods I4 are preferably held against the adjacent side wall 88 of the elevator car by a removable strap 94 so as to hold their signal ends 90 in equally spaced relation in the opening 92 of the car.

For pleasant appearance, the signal ends 93 of the rods I4 project preferably into an emshield 32 and will not the annunciator may,

bossed cover I38 (Figs. 3 and 5) which may be bolted at H3 to the wall 88 of the elevator car. The cover I08 may be provided with a plurality of openings H2 through which to view the signal ends 90 of the rods I4 with which they are aligned. In the instant installation of the annunciator in an elevator car, the signal ends 90 of the rods I4 preferably receive caps II4 which may conveniently be pressfitted thereover. For ready indication of the different floors or the building in which the elevator operates, the caps II4 are provided in their bottoms IIti with cutout stencils denoting numerals such as the numerals 7 and 8 in Fig. 5, for instance. Thus, the signal ends 90 of the rods I4 bear caps I I4 denoting the different floors in the building.

It follows from the preceding description that in the present example, be mounted on the elevator car with total disregard to the observation by the operator of the light signals that emanate from the annunciator. Thus, the annunciator is conveniently mounted on the outside and on top of the elevator car, where the same is readily accessible for repair and the replacement of parts, and is neither observed from, nor takes up space in, the interior of the car. Further, the signal transmitters I4 in the form of plastic rods of small cross-sectional area permit their ready installation and extension to any convenient place in the elevator car where their signal ends may most conveniently be observed by the operator of the car. Thus, by virtue of the readily bendable and cross-sectionally small signal transmitters i l, there are virtually no limitations imposed upon the location of the annunciator and the transmittance of the signals therefrom to any desired obser vation post.

Fig. 7 shows an example of wiring the annunci' ator in an elevator system in a building 13, having several floors F and an elevator shaft S in which the elevator car 3!! may travel. For the sake of simplicity, there are shown only four floors of the building, and accordingly only four of the electrical devices I6 with their solenoid windings 5H and 50". Provided on each of the several floors of the building is a conventional push button switch I20 which is in circuit with a solenoid winding 53". The circuits of the solenoid windings 50 are separate, but identical, circuits, so that a description of one of these circuits will suffice for an understanding of all circuits. Thus. the circuit of the solenoid winding 50a", which may serve for a signal indication in the elevator car on depressing the switch I20 on the eighth iioor, for instance, of the building, comprises a lead I22 from one side of the secondary I24 of a transformer T, a lead I23, the push button switch I20, a lead I25, winding 50a, a separate lead I28, and a common lead I30, which is connected with the other side of the secondary I24 of the transformer. Thus, on depression of the push button switch I29 by a person on the eighth floor of the building, the described circuit of the solenoid winding 50a" is closed with the result that the associated signal-transmitting rod I4 of the annunciator receives light from the bulb I2 (Fig. 1) and transmits it to its signal end where it is readily observable from the interior of the elevator car and indicates to the operator of the car that a, person or persons on the eighth floor of the building want to get on the car. In accordance with conventional practice, the wires I26, of which there is one for each solenoid winding 50", and the common Wire I30, are joined in a traveling cable which hangs loosely from the elevator car and extends to a fixed terminal point X, for instance, in the elevator shaft from where the individual wires branch to their respective connecting points in the buildling. The slack in the traveling cable is, of course, such as to permit the ascent and descent of the elevator car throughout the vertical extent of the elevator shaft.

There is further provided in the elevator car the customary reset switch R in the form of a conventional push-button switch which may be in circuit-connection. with each solenoid winding 50. Thus, one pole I32 of the reset switch R may be connected with one side of each winding 50 through leads I34 and I35, while the other side of each winding 50' may be connected through the separate lead I28 and the common lead 130 with one side of the secondary I24 of the transformer T. The other pole I38 of the reset switch R is connected through a lead Mil with the lead E22 that is connected with the other side of the secondary 824 of the transformer. Part of the common wire I40 may be joined with the other wires I26 and 130 in the previously mentioned travelling cable. Thus, supposing that the solenoid winding 59a" has been energized for effecting the eighth floor signal in the elevator car in the manner previously described, the operator may cancel this and any other active signal by simply depressing the reset switch R. Closure of the reset switch R results in energization of each solenoid winding 50, as will be readily understood, and according cancellation of any active signal.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

to the opening in the car and being there exposed to view from the interior of the car.

DAVID CO'YNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Bludworth Sept. 18, 1945 

